Helping Hand Revealed
by Hitenssecrectlover
Summary: This is a sequel to Helping Hand. Emmett and the rest of the Cullen clan finally find out about Bella and Kohl. How will they react and will an old flame reignite? Rated M for future chapters.
1. Foreboding

**A/N. It's been a while and I'm sorry I didn't get this going as quickly as I wanted to. But here is the first chapter and I promise that Emmett will find out about Bella and Kohl. That is after all the whole point of this sequel. I hope you enjoy!**

 _I know that I told mom all those times that she was enough, but a part of me was curious…way too curious about the man who aided in my birth. She had told me a little bit about him, mainly the fact that he was a goof off but loyal. I had to laugh at the fact that she called him loyal. If he were in fact faithful I would not exist._

Kohl approached the house where the Cullen clan had once lived. It was where his mother fell in love with Edward, it was where she nearly died, and it was where his father used to live. He had told his mother that he and Aria were branching off on their own. But it wasn't entirely the case. He was going to search out his father, though he didn't really have much of an idea past that.

Aria gave their joined hands a squeeze. Kohl smiled at her, appreciating her support in the matter. Together they stared at the house where it had all begun. The house itself was looking a bit rough, the lawn was overgrown and graffiti marks covered the exterior. It looked as if the Cullen clan hadn't even been back to check on it since their abrupt departure.

There were no clues to be given.

As if sensing his thoughts Aria chimed in, "This is only a starting point. No need to get discouraged."

"And besides", she added, "We still have Peter and Charlotte to speak with."

 _Yes,_ he reminded himself. He was going against everything his mother asked of him by speaking with Peter and Charlotte but he was his mother's child and she was not deterred by restrictions; nor was he.

Xxxx

Bella knew something was about to happen. The air pressed heavily against her marble body. If she were human it would have knocked the air from her lungs. Yes, something was most definitely brewing, she just didn't know what. Over the years she had gained the ability to 'feel' when things were getting ready to happen, sort of like Peter just with a lot fewer details. The one thing she did know is that it either had to do with her or Kohl.

Quickly dispersing of her prey, she made her way back to Washington, the last place she had seen Kohl and hoped she wasn't too late to prevent whatever was about to take place.


	2. Southern Hospitality

Kohl, with a little detective help from his mate, ended up finding Peter and Charlotte fairly easy. The greeting, however, wasn't what he had expected it to be. Maybe it was partially due to the fact that they had company or the fact that they hadn't parted on the best of terms with his mother, either way, there was an eerie silence and the air was thick with tension. The first to speak was one of the guests. His dirty blond hair and golden eyes were reminiscent of his mother's stories. This immediately made Kohl wonder if this person associated with the Cullen's. He was both excited and angered at the possibility.

"Who might you be?" He asked with a southern drawl. The man's companion, a short brunette, instantly found the ground extremely interesting.

Peter cleared his throat, garnering everyone's attention.

"This", he said gesturing to Kohl, "is Kohl." After a few moments of pause Peter added, "Bella Swan's son."

The blond looked genuinely surprised at the introduction; the pixie woman, however, just seemed guilty. It was something that didn't go unnoticed by her mate.

His golden eyes narrowed in her direction, "What do you know Alice?"

That name had Kohl's blood boiling; he now knew without a doubt that these two were a part of the Cullen clan. But before he could voice his ire at the fact that they left his mother, Alice spoke up.

"Jazz, I…she didn't want anyone to know. I was just trying to abide by her wishes."

"What exactly did she not want anyone to know about and just how does Pete here know about this kid?" Jasper asked, eyeing his Captain wearily.

It was Peter's turn to look guilty.

"Well…I…as Alice said Bella didn't want anyone to know about him." The answer most definitely didn't satisfy the Major. He was about to probe further when a growl silenced his thoughts. There in the middle of the group of vampires was none other than Bella, her bleeding red eyes furious.

"Don't you DARE say another word!" She turned to face her son, giving him a pointed look, "Any of you."

Kohl shrank back at the withering look his mother was giving him. He didn't need to be a mind reader to know what was going on in her thoughts. Silently he backed out of the room with his mate, leaving his mother to deal with her past.

Bella turned back to Jasper and Alice giving them a look of dissatisfaction before turning to pull Charlotte into a big hug. "I missed you Char." Bella said softly, a far cry from her earlier tone.

Much to Jasper's surprise Charlotte returned the hug with equal fervor. "I missed you too darlin' and that boy of yours. He sure found himself a pretty little thing didn't he?"

Peter took the opportunity to usher the two animal drinkers away from the volatile mother vampire.

Jasper suddenly felt out of the loop as Peter and Alice had a very confusing conversation.

"So you knew?"Peter asked.

"I'm a seer, what do you think." Alice scoffed.

"So I'm guessing that he doesn't know?" Peter queried cryptically.

"He's none the wiser." She replied.

"What about the mind snoop?"

"I wasn't around him when I had the visions, so it was fairly easy to keep them from him." She responded in earnest.

Jasper finally had enough," What are you talking about? Anytime Edward had asked about Bella you said she lived a good long life and died. What are you two hiding?"

The two in question stood straighter, Peter squared his shoulders trying to be a little bit more intimidating. "It is not our secret to tell Jasper, only to keep." Peter knew he was pushing the Major's buttons but this was not a situation that could be helped. He only hoped that Bella would sooner or later let the cat out of the bag, and for her son's sake he hoped it would be sooner rather than later.

 _ **A/N. Yay another chapter down! I want to thank Jessa76 for helping me keep motivation on this story and for her reviews! Here in the next couple of chapters Jasper will find out the secret everyone is hiding from him. We will see how the Major handles the news**_ __ __


	3. Acquiescing

Bella noticed the moment the others fled through the door as if Satan himself were on their heels. That thought alone left her more amused with the situation; however, she still was upset with her son. He had told her that she was enough, that he didn't need to know his father on a personal level but here he was, one of the very last places she would want him to gain information.

She recalled the feeling of dread that weighed on her in Canada that led her to the Lone star state.

 _She had just left the no good rapist she was eating in the middle of the woods, to hurry to Washington where she has parted ways with Kohl and Aria. Quickly, she picked up her son's scent. It was when she arrived at the twisty turning drive that she realized what her son was after. She also knew that the only real starting place he had was Charlotte and Peter. With that in mind she sped down to Texas, hoping that Peter didn't give away anything vital or make good on his promise to call Jasper. When she had found not only her son but part of the Cullen clan there as well, all reason left her._

The feeling had been correct; her son was getting ready to poke the proverbial bear with a stick. She was lucky enough to show up before the cat had been let out of the bag about Emmett and her. But she wasn't totally off the hook yet.

She listened intently to the conversation that was occurring outside. Charlotte waited patiently as Bella's focus was no longer in their conversation but solely on her mates and his former comrade. She understood Bella's side of things, she always had, but she also understood what her mate was getting at. Charlotte also felt that there was more to Bella's circumstances than she was letting on. It would be one thing to not want to completely ruin someone's life; however, it almost seemed as if the girl were afraid to face the burly Cullen. Charlotte may not have been gifted, as her mate had, but she was very perceptive.

When Bella heard Peter's voice take on the authoritative tone, she was genuinely surprised, if her slight, unneeded, intake of air was any indication. After all, he was the one who begged and pleaded with her to tell Jasper of Kohl and here he was telling the Major himself that it wasn't his secret to tell. Bella was torn, she was happy that Peter left the choice up to her but in the same breath his constant pushing and threats were what had split them in the first place. Maybe he had grown in the past 100 years or maybe his mate ripped him a new one, either way Bella wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

When the conversation outside ceased, Bella focused back on Charlotte.

She soon realized that she had zoned out of the conversation that she and Charlotte were having, to listen in on the Cullen's and Peter.

"Sorry about that." She apologized sheepishly.

Char gave a knowing smile, "Ya know he's not as bad as he seemed back in the day. He truly does care about y'all and would never do anything that would hurt ya. He was just tryin' to be helpful in a Peter like fashion which tends to back fire on 'em."

Bella giggled at the jib.

"Now that's what I like to hear from ya. No more of that mean growly crap." Char's smile widened as Bella, in a very teenage manner, rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, mom." Bella laughed as a frown suddenly marred Char's perfectly sculpted face.

"Now listen here missy" Char said waving a digit at the younger vampire looking every bit the image of a scolding parent," I may be older by vampire standards but we were turned at the same age. Ya here me?"

Bella couldn't take it, her laughs increased until Char could no longer hold face and a small grin formed on her lips.

"I hear ya Char." Bella finally said as her laughs subsided.

"Good, now why don't we go find that son of yours and see what he's up to? If he's anything like his momma he's doin' the exact opposite of what you told him not to do." Char said as they walked towards the direction her son had fled.

Bella had to agree and for a moment she felt like the worst parent in the world. Of course her son would want to know his father, and she selfishly kept him away. She always told herself that she was protecting Kohl or protecting Emmett's image but in reality she had been protecting herself. She had told Char and Peter of what occurred that faithful night when Edward was hunting but she never let on to her feelings on the matter. In truth, she had always been attracted to Emmett but he was spoken for, so when he had offered her one night she had gladly accepted. When she had found out that she was pregnant, she knew that she couldn't interfere with Emmett's life. He had given her a piece of him, but she had given all of herself to him. That was why no matter how many years passed, she could never be with anyone. She suffered through immortality alone because the one person she wanted to spend it with couldn't be there with her.

Xxxx

Meanwhile, Aria had taken to comforting her mate.

"You know she is just trying to protect you Kohl. It's not like she really wants to keep you and your father a part just because, she doesn't want you to get hurt." She said rubbing up and down her mates arm in a soothing manner.

It was odd to Aria, but not in a bad way, the temperature difference between her and her mate. It was comforting to have some aspects of humanity, which she dearly missed, in her mate. It was nice to see his emerald eyes, to hear the slight fluttering of his heartbeat, or see him flushed after a particularly eventful "workout" session. Sometimes it made her feel inadequate. Almost like he should want someone who resembled the same physical qualities he had rather than be with a marbled, red eyed vampire like her.

As if sensing her thoughts, he grabbed a hold of her hand, "I know love, but she needs to realize that I am old enough to make decisions that involve my life. I will live with the outcome, whether it is good or bad."

He gently placed a warm kiss to the back of her hand, a familiar gesture that always seemed to calm her nerves. She sighed in contentment.

Just as he was about to swing the mood further into a sexual direction, Kohl felt the presence of his mother and Charlotte.

Bella was the first to step forward, leaving Char and Aria to face one another. They took it as a sign to skedaddle. Char grabbed the younger vampires hand, intent on getting to know the timid girl that had stole her little Kohl's heart.

When Bella was sure they were alone she wrapped her son in a hug. "I'm sorry." She whispered in his ear. He nodded, hugging her back.

"I am too mom. I shouldn't have come to seem them without you but I need you to know that I am ready to meet my father." He continued quickly feeling his mother stiffen in his grasp. "I am nearly 100 years old; I'd say that's plenty old enough to make decisions regarding my life."

Bella pulled back from the hug and looked at his face. His emerald orbs were set in determination, a look that she knew all too well because she had given that look many a times before. A part of her would forever see him as her little boy, but he was right, he was old enough to make this choice and she needed to be there to support him even if it ended up hurting her in the end as well.

Bella nodded; something that Kohl was not expecting. In truth, he was expecting a huge blow out with his mother telling him that he was grounded for eternity and that she forbade him from ever speaking about his father again.

"Okay Kohl, let's go meet Jasper and Alice and we will go from there." She replied, resignation dripping in every word. She didn't have to like it but she would do this for her son. Her only hope was that Emmett would be accepting of his son.

 _ **A/N. So, chapter 3 finished and as I said before the next few chapters will be of Jasper learning the truth. So much fun to come! Emmett will make an appearance later down the road. Too much suspense, I know and I'm kind of sorry. Just kinda. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I made it longer especially for jessa76 and Taylor99001. Thank you two for your reviews!**_


	4. Major News

Bella and Kohl headed back to the house where everyone had gathered. Jasper sat surprisingly patient on the couch next to Alice who had a small smile on her face. When Bella got closer Alice moved to speak with her.

"Bella, could I have a minute?" She asked timidly, which was unusual for the typically bubbly vampire.

Bella was hesitant, she now knew that Alice had known about Kohl but she had done nothing about it. She was curious to see how much the seer actually knew concerning the whole situation.

"Sure." She replied stiffly.

Together they walked back outside; only stopping when they were sure they were out of hearing range.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Bella asked stiffly. One watching the interaction between the two would never know they once considered each other sisters.

Alice gave a sad smile, "I just want you to know that I never said anything to anyone about Kohl and it wasn't because I saw a bad outcome at the news, I just knew you weren't ready for it yet."

Bella was a bit shocked, yes she had assumed that Alice had known but kept it to herself for the sake of the family not hers. It was then Bella suddenly felt like the world's largest dunce. Not only had she been keeping her son from his father but she had been holding onto unwarranted resentment towards Alice and the rest of the Cullen coven.

"I'm so sorry Alice." Bella sobbed, unable to cry like her body so desperately wanted to. She was a horrible person, a horribly selfish one at that.

A genuine smile graced Alice's face; one that Bella remembered from her human days.

"There's nothing to be sorry for Bella. You've been through a lot and you were on your own for most of it. If anything it is I that should be saying sorry to you. I should have found a way to help you."

Both women stood there absorbing what the other had declared when finally Bella held her arms out, "Friends?"

Alice beamed, nodding furiously. "Of course!" She exclaimed as she pulled the younger vampire into a hug.

"Well, let's get back before Jasper thinks something happened." Alice said as she giggled into Bella's hair.

With bright smiles and hands interlocked they walked back into the Whitlock residence, surprising a few of the occupants within.

"Okay Jasper, Bella has something to tell you." Alice said as she moved back to her previous seat.

Jasper looked expectantly at Bella and immediately was hit with a wave of anxiousness.

Alice seemed to grasp what was going on before smiling reassuringly at the nervous girl. "It will all be okay Bella, I promise."

Bella released an unnecessary breath, pushing her nerves down which relaxed Jasper. He couldn't fathom what it was that had the girl in such as twist.

Kohl stepped to his mother's side, getting ready to support her in any way he could. After all, she was doing this because he had asked it of her.

Bella's hand unconsciously found its way into her son's as she prepared for Jasper's reaction to the secret she had held onto for so long.

"Well…" Bella started. "I…uh…Kohl is…umm…damn it! Kohl's father is someone you know." Bella sighed.

"I'm sorry, I've just onto this for too long and it doesn't want to come out." She joked before continuing.

"Jasper, Emmett is Kohl's father."

The words came out so smoothly that no one would have thought that just moments ago, those same words were lodged in her throat. But now that they were out in the open, she felt better, lighter even.

She waited patiently as Jasper processed what little tidbit he'd been given.

Jasper had known that something was familiar about Kohl but he hadn't been able to put a finger on what it was. Now, it was staring him in the face. The boy had the same hair as Emmett, the same shade and all. His features resembled Bella's but he could see the hints of Emmett peaking through, like the shape of his nose. His build was also similar to the burly vampires. How he had not seen it before, he did not know. But the biggest question was what he was going to do with this information. The last he'd seen of Emmett, he was happy with Rosalie, off sightseeing over in Europe. Would this be detrimental to their relationship? Now he could see why everyone had kept it from him, especially Bella.

Finally, he spoke, shocking most everyone save for Alice. "Okay, well I suppose I should see if I can get the little shit here." With those words spoken he turned to head outside to make the call to the, in his opinion, stupid vampire leaving behind a very shocked Bella and a very excited Kohl.

 _ **A/N. So what do y'all think about this chapter? I thought it might be a little bit more shocking if Jasper was all cool about it rather than blowing up. Well, Emmett, as I said, will come in a few chapters down the road. We will see. Maybe the rest of the Cullen coven will find out before Emmett does, maybe not. I haven't fully decided as of yet. I hope you enjoyed and I want to send a special thank you to jessa76, taylor9901, and catgrl! Thank you guys for the reviews!**_


	5. The Evil's of Voicemail

Jasper stepped outside to make a call that he never in his eternal life, he would've thought he'd make.

The call connected but the phone did nothing but ring and switch to voicemail. 'This is Emmett's phone say what you gotta say."

Without thinking he left a message.

"Emmett you little shit you need to get down to Texas and face what you did to Bella and the consequences of your little escapade. We're at Pete's old farm house. Give me a call back."

After Jasper hung up the phone, he realized that he may have made a mistake. It wasn't like Emmett knew that he knocked Bella up nor did he know that Bella was still alive. He had a feeling that he just made the situation monumentally worse.

Across the ocean in Italy, Rosalie heard her husband's phone ringing. She paid no mind to it since he seemed to forget the item so very often. However, there weren't many that would call him, since they all knew they were on their honeymoon across Europe. Curiously, Rose got out of the bath and wrapped a towel around her and went in search of Emmett's phone. Once she found it she realized the missed call and voicemail were from Jasper, another oddity. It was usually Esme who would call them. Something within her begged her to listen to the voicemail, and she obeyed without a moment's hesitation.

Within seconds her eyes were black with fury. What did Jasper mean about escapade and consequences and what the hell did it have to do with Bella. As far as Rose knew that little human wench had been gone for years. Then a memory rose to the surface of her thoughts. It was when Emmett had offered to stay behind and look after the little weakling while the others went on a hunt. He had almost seemed eager for them to leave but for the most part kept his cool. Rose had thought that he enjoyed having a human to toy with so she never thought on it. But now, it was glaringly obvious to her. She realized that she needed to get rid of the evidence.

With a quick press of a button, the message was no more and a quick fist later, the phone was no more. This way they couldn't contact him. Thinking on her feet she quickly found her phone and turned off the ringer so they couldn't reach him through her phone either. If she was going to keep Emmett, she thought, she had better prepare to make them disappear without him knowing.

Jasper had returned to the house, the feeling of dread starting to sink deeper into his being. His thoughts were confirmed as Alice's eyes became unfocused and he heard a gasp from her form.

"Jasper, what did you do?" Alice asked, and everyone turned to face the Major with wide eyes.

"It was just a phone call right, how badly could it have gone?" Bella asked, more or less trying to reassure herself.

"Well, I, it went to voicemail…"Jasper trailed off.

Alice's eyes filled with anger, something not many had ever seen before.

"And you didn't think that his _wife_ would listen to the very suggestive message you left. Damn it Jasper, you all but told her that Bella is alive and that she had a damn baby. She's piecing it together and we may never see them again. She's pretty much plotting and shutting me out."

Bella perked at the last statement. " _She_ may be blocking you out but Emmett wouldn't think to." She really hated the idea of facing an irate Rosalie and more so a confused Emmett but she had to remind herself that this wasn't about her anymore, this was about her son and his wants and needs and by damn she was going to do her best to give him what he wanted.

Alice paused and smiled, "You're right Bella. We still have that but I think we should enlist the help of the rest of the Cullen's. We're going to need them on our side."

Bella froze, that meant not only would she have to face the disappointed looks of Carlisle and Esme but she would once again have to face Edward. Her stomach turned at the thought. If Emmett were the last person on earth she wanted to see, Edward was right behind him.

She sighed, "Fine, let's get going then."

At her resigned statement she saw her son smile and then it didn't seem so bad.

 ** _A/N. It's been a bit since the last chapter, but not too long I hope. I know some of you suggested that Emmett knew first but this seemed like a good way to add some drama and make a villain out of Rose and well, maybe Edward too. Some serious crap is about to hit the fan in the next few chapters so I hope you enjoy!_**


	6. The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

It was the wee hours of the morning when the group of vampires, minus Charlotte and Peter, arrived at the Cullen's new home. It was a far cry from the sunny Texas state and Bella had to wonder how the Cullen's managed. The dreary, snow ridden Alaskan landscape was beautiful in some ways but utterly depressing in others. Jasper and Alice had informed them on the way there that they were taking a break from school and work and just, in Bella's opinion, existing. Sure she could see Esme constantly cleaning or Carlisle reading books but that would get so old after a while. Alice had been in agreement and explained that was why they were seeing Peter and Emmett and Rosalie were vacationing across Europe.

All too soon they arrived at a beautifully carved wooden door and Bella could feel the dread sinking in. She was sure she could handle Esme and Carlisle but she wasn't too sure about Edward or how he would react to Kohl. She had no time to prepare herself as Jasper pushed open the door and ushered her in.

She suddenly felt like her old human self as she heard the Cullen family approach the front room. A part of her wanted to run and never look back but then she remembered the reason she was here. It wasn't for her, her comfort didn't matter, it was all for her son. With a heavy sigh she collected herself and prepared for what was bound to be the most interesting conversation to ever take place.

"Who are your friends?" Esme asked, not being able to yet see Bella.

Alice cheery voice chimed in, "This is Kohl and Ari…" but she didn't get to finish her sentence before Edward sunk a fist effortlessly into the nearby wall.

"So that is what you've been keeping from me, Alice?" His words dripped with venom and a small humorless chuckle passed his lips. "Well it figures she would sleep with him, she was such a desperate whore and now she has a bastard child."

"Edward!" Esme admonished. But before much more could be done a growl was heard.

At his hateful remark Kohl lunged forward, only to be stopped by Bella. She pulled her son behind her and stepped towards the mind reader. Her face was void of any emotion as she reached up and pressed a single digit into the man's chest.

Bella could faintly hear a small gasp come from Esme but she ignored it for the moment.

"You can say what you want about me Edward, but" the family suddenly heard a cracking sound as Bella pressed her dainty digit into Edward's chest "if you ever say anything like that about my son again, I will end you." Her ruby eyes echoed her statement as they narrowed ever so slightly.

As Bella pulled her finger back, everyone could see the finger sized hole in Edward's shirt. The mind reader nodded, but the look of distain never left his face. He quietly slunk to the corner of the room to tend to his bruised ego.

She had assumed right, Edward would be more of a problem than a help. However, she was slightly more optimistic for the rest of the clan.

"Would anyone care to inform me what that was all about?" Carlisle asked ever diplomatically, although curiosity tainted his tone.

Bella began to explain before she was cut off by a hug from Esme. "I thought you were dead." The matriarch sobbed.

The hug was familiar to Bella. The days of old came rushing back but a quickly as the warm memories came they were replaced with bitter ones. They had left her. At the time everyone had assumed it was the absence of Edward that caused the grief but in reality it was the abandonment of the ones that she came to see as family. Her body went rigid under Esme's arms before she pulled away as politely as she could. A flash of hurt crossed Esme's face before she quickly replaced it with a soft smile.

"Well" Bella started "As you can see I am alive and that I also have a son." She said as she gestured to Kohl. Edward scoffed but was quickly silenced by Bella's single raised eyebrow.

Carlisle sensing the need to listen, rather than ask questions, simply nodded.

Bella continued, "What I am going to tell you may be shocking to say the least."

Bella stood tall and unlike last time, the words did not stick in her throat. With her mind at ease, more so than last time, she quickly got to the heart of the matter.

"Emmett is Kohl's father." She said with a strong even voice.

The heads of the household paused briefly in their human façade as they stood stock still, absorbing what they had just been told. Carlisle was the first to recover.

"I have never heard of such a phenomenon. Who would have thought it possible, our kind capable of having children?" Carlisle thought out loud. His mind then went into doctor mode. "Why not seek us out sooner? I am sure there were many complications with the pregnancy and the delivery. We could have been some help, Bella." Bella had to look away, not able to stand to see the concern in his honeyed eyes.

Yeah, she could have sought them out, but what repercussions would that have had on the family? It was bad enough that they were doing this now; bringing to light the fact that not only had Bella technically cheated on Edward but that it was with his "brother" and that brother was married. They had betrayed two people that day and a part of Bella couldn't care less. Especially as she was looking at the child like man that she once thought she had loved. Looking at him now, his eyes held no understanding or love and deep down she knew they never did. He never understood why she wanted to be intimate or why she drove an ancient truck and liked it or anything about her for that matter. He just wanted a little doll to keep at arm's reach and she was now able to see that about him. In this particular moment, all she saw was a spoiled child finding out that his brother played with his toy first.

"Carlisle, you know that wasn't an option. Besides, I had help." She said referring to Peter and Charlotte.

Carlisle looked thoughtful for a moment before hmm'ing in agreement.

"So why have you come to tell us this now?" Esme asked in a gentle tone.

Kohl cut in answering for his mother. "I want to meet him." He said sheepishly. Saying it out loud sounded a bit childish. "Look," he said feeling the need to clarify, "I'm not here to break up your happy little family. I just want to know my dad, even if that means he doesn't know I'm his son." Kohl looked down at the ground a bit dejected by the thought but he was willing to do whatever it took to get to know his father.

Bella felt her temper rise to the surface. "No Kohl. He will know that you are his child. It wouldn't be fair to either of you if we just swept this under the rug."

Before Bella could go off on a tirade, Esme put a hand on her shoulder. "You're right Bella; there shouldn't be any secrets since we are family. If there is anything Carlisle or I can do for you, just ask."

This time it was Jasper who spoke up. "Well, I kind of let it slip in a voice mail to Emmett about his and Bella's…infidelity and Rosalie may have listened to it."

Bella was used to Jasper being stoic; his face never betraying an emotion but at this moment he looked every bit the scolded child. That fact was probably amplified by his angry mate glaring at his back.

"Oh my." Esme stated knowing perfectly well how Rosalie would react.

"Yes, and now she is blocking me so I don't know where they are going; only that she is leaving and intending to stay off the map." Alice huffed with a manicured hand placed on her hip.

Carlisle stepped forward, looking every bit the leader of the clan. "We will aid you in any way possible. First things first, we need to see if she's left a paper trail."

Just like that the heads of the Cullen clan were on Bella's side, planning and researching within minutes.

Alice chimed in, "I'll focus on Emmett's future to see if we can get a clue there."

"I'll see if any of my nomadic friends have heard anything." Jasper said, trying to help in any way he could to fix things.

'Maybe this nightmare will be over soon.' Bella thought hopefully and bitterly. As much as she didn't want to see Emmett a large portion of her did and that scared her more than anything. Slowly Bella was becoming aware that while this mission was for Kohl, it was for her as well.

Edward sat sulking in the background, intent on not helping his previous love find his betraying bastard of a brother. Instead, he had a mission of his own, keeping Rosalie informed and off the grid.

'Never will he know.' Edward thought darkly as a malicious grin spread across his marble face. Quickly, he set about his work.

 **A/N. I am so sorry this took me so long to get out. I have a newborn and am trying to still go to school so things are getting a bit hectic. This most likely means that updates will be sporadic. Again, my apologies. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and soon we will get a little POV from Emmett.**


	7. Outed

Rosalie looked down at her phone, intent on crushing it and moving on to the next location when a text message suddenly popped up.

' _I'll help._ ' It was from Edward. Her pink tinted lips curved into a victorious smile. With Edward on her side, no one would be able to find them.

Or so she thought.

Alice knew the second that Edward chose to aid Rosalie; however, she figured she could use this knowledge to her benefit. So, in lieu of telling the rest of the family, she kept it to herself. There was no need to have everyone involved and it cut down on the likelihood of Edward catching on. She had, over the years, learned to keep her thoughts her own when around her mind reading brother. With the newly discovered information in hand she made preparations for an interception of Emmett.

Emmett was thoroughly confused, first, he knew that something happened to his phone and it wasn't that he lost it like Rosalie adamantly insisted. He had noticed small shards of glass and plastic near the bed but chose not to say anything to Rose about it. People had always assumed that he was the dumb, oblivious, jock type; his own family included but that couldn't be farther from the truth. He knew something was amiss and that Rosalie was hiding something. He'd just have to bide his time to figure out exactly what it was.

He was drawn from his musings by a surprisingly chipper Rosalie.

"I'm ready to go to the next destination on our little love trip." She giggled. Right then Emmett truly knew that something was wrong with her. In all their time together she had never giggled like that, it was sending up red flags but still, he had to play along.

"Oh yeah, where ya wanna go next babe?" Suddenly the word tasted like ash on his tongue. How many times had he called her that and never had an issue? Millions. He had a feeling that something life altering was happening as he felt an odd tug in his chest.

"How about we just roam around? I don't want to make plans, I just want to explore." She said, curling herself into his arms.

Yes, something was indeed off. She was always about the planning, so much so that it was annoying. She had to pick the best hotel within range of the best shopping. For her to runaround on a whim was something entirely new.

"No problem babe." There was that taste again.

"So which direction first?" He queried.

Once again she couldn't give him a straight answer. "I'm not sure, let's just start running and we'll go from there."

His face must have shown his skepticism. "Oh give me a break Emmett, I can be spontaneous." She huffed pulling from his arms.

He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah, sorry. You just usually like to go where the shopping is best." He admitted.

Her deep rooted frown softened a bit, "I know Em, I just want to try something different, you know?" Her voice held sincerity, however, when he looked into her eyes he could detect a bit of deceit. He decided that for the meantime he would appease her, that is, until he could figure out what she was hiding from him.

"Yeah Rose, I get it." He said while pulling her in for a chaste kiss. "So when do you want to go?"

She giggled slightly, "No time like the present." Just like that she was a blur as she sprinted out of the door and onto which ever destination she deemed appropriate. With a grin he gave chase. He had to hand it to her she certainly was pulling out all the stops to get what she wanted, starting with his favorite game, chase. He was, after all, a hunter in both of his lives.

Alice strode back into the living room that was aflutter with planning and phone calls. She spotted her brother sitting on the steps like he hadn't a care in the world, that was until Kohl walked by, then a look of disgust covered his features. She grinned as she approached the mind reader.

"You know, making that face isn't going to change the fact that he exists. And in all honesty I would place some of the blame on you for his existence. In fact, I would place a great deal of the blame on you." She paused and gave a little laugh."All you had to do was act like a typical teenage boy and sleep with your girlfriend when she asked you to and now…now we know that your _aversion_ to sleeping with Bella wasn't due to what you said it was." By this time the rest of the family stopped what they were doing and started paying attention to the one-sided conversation that was taking place. "You were never concerned with hurting her and we can now plainly see that it can be done without harm. Your biggest issue was that she's not your type."

Alice looked over to Bella to see a flash of hurt within her ruby orbs. Alice just smiled at her friend and continued. "No Edward, we all know the real reason." Alice looked back at her brother's face and the fear she found there almost made her lose her composure. He was reading her thoughts and he must've known that she was getting ready to hit the nail on the head.

"Alice…" He warned.

She ignored him. "Edward, we've let you pretend long enough and I think Bella deserves to know the reason why you'd never touch her or gave her such chaste kisses."

The tension was palpable. Edward's eyes darted around the room.

"Or we could start with the real reason you're so upset that she has a child with Emmett." Her eyes gleamed with barely containable humor.

Jasper must've caught on to what his wife was trying to uncover as he smothered a laugh and attempted to mask it with a poor attempt at a cough.

"Darlin' I don't thinks he's fully admitted it to himself and here ya are tryin' to make him say it. I think you're gonna have to spell it out for 'em."

It seemed everyone in the room was catching on. Bella's light bulb visibly went off and her filter broke, "YOU'RE GAY?!"

Edward sputtered and jumped up, slowly inching backwards up the stairs, ready to sprint to the safety of his bedroom. "No…well I…gah…no…no, no, NO! I'M NOT GAY!"

His eyes were wild and it was then everyone knew the truth, whether he was willing to admit it or not, Edward was indeed gay. Alice had seen a fishy vision of Edward staring longingly at what appeared to be Rose at the time but over the course of their shared lives together she had come to believe differently. His sidelong glances at Emmett that were once thought to be Edward reading his mind were, in reality, Edward having a crush on Emmett.

Bella slouched into the nearest seat. "So you mean to tell me that I dated a gay guy and had sex with my boyfriends crush? Well, it makes sense. Kissing him was like kissing my grandma. What was I thinking? Oh lord, I can see it clearly now. I wonder what he thinks of Jasper, I mean he's attractive too. I-"

"Okay darlin', that's where I draw the line on your ramblin'." Jasper cut her off, not allowing her inner thoughts to make an appearance.

"Sorry Jasper. I think he broke me. Out of all the reasons we broke up, I never once thought it would be because of the very reason I broke up with him. I guess all along we were both in love with Emmett." She shrugged at that last part but suddenly went stiff when the realization of what she had said aloud sunk in fully. "I-I mean you know love as in care about not love. I don't love Emmett. I don't, I swear. Girl scouts honor. My mouth just sometimes spouts nonsense, you guys know that right? I'm just being dumb old Bella that doesn't mean a word of what she says." She tried to laugh it off but both Jasper and Alice gave a knowing smile, one that made her uncomfortable.

"So let's get back to finding those two so Kohl can meet his dad and I can be on my merry way." Bella immediately jumped on the laptop and continued her search in hopes that no one would approach her about her serious blunder.

All the while Alice wanted to call bull shit. She had intended to get Edward's feathers ruffled but she had unknowingly set off Bella as well which ended up revealing her true feelings. Which, in the same manner as it did Edward, had Bella flustered and unwilling to face the truth; she too was in love with Emmett. Now the biggest question that had Alice wondering was how did Emmett feel?

 **A/N. So guys, it's been a while and for that I am sorry. It's been a real juggling act lately and I can't make promises on when the next chapter will be. I'll try my best to get it out fairly soon. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I can't wait to hear your thoughts on it!**


	8. Puzzles and Ire

Emmett had enjoyed his wife's little game of chase but there was still something nagging him. He couldn't understand why it started happening suddenly but, like the times before, he shoved it down to deal with it later. Now wasn't the time to take his focus off Rosalie, not when he knew he was getting close to the real reason for her flippant attitude. He first noticed it when he tried to use her phone to call Esme to let her know where they were. Rose had snatched the phone from his hands so quickly he almost didn't see it happen. She had insisted that she had already checked in and that Carlisle and Esme were in the middle of their own romantic getaway. He may have been inclined to believe her if it weren't for the wild, fearful look in her topaz orbs. So, he had, secretly, went to purchase a phone so he could call Alice and see if she had any inkling as to why Rose had suddenly changed.

No sooner had the phone been activated it started ringing, a familiar number flashing across the screen. Alice.

He answered it quickly, intent on getting answers to his many questions. "Alice, what's go-"

She quickly cut him off. "Emmett, you need to come back home. Now!"

He wanted to ask more questions but Rosalie materialized behind him, quickly grabbing and crushing the phone in one foul swoop.

He looked at the blond incredulously. What had possessed her to act like a crazy woman? When he met her eyes, they were one step away from literally being on fire.

"Why would you do something so stupid?" Her cold tone a far cry from her fiery stare. "All you had to do was listen to me Emmett but you had to go and call _them_." She spat the word.

"What is your problem Rose? Those people are our family!" He nearly shouted. He didn't want to cause too much of a scene. They were lucky that no one had seen Rose crush the phone with her bare hand but longer their conversation went on, the more people started to look their way.

"My problem?! What was your problem Emmett? Was I not good enough for you?" She screeched out her questions which left Emmett with no hope of a private talk.

"I have no clue what you're talking about Rose." He said gently as he reached out to touch her shoulder, only to be swatted away.

"Don't you dare touch me, especially after you've touched _her."_

That was it, he had no clue what he had done to her but he was almost positive she was losing it. "I have no fucking clue what you're talking about!" He shouted. He only hoped that no one would be able to understand what they were fighting about.

"Don't play dumb Emmett, I know you fucked Bella."

That was went Emmett's world turned upside down. It had been so long ago; he honestly didn't think that this was what she was pissed about. There was no reason to be when Bella had been gone for so long. His heart ached at the thought. The day after he had been with her he couldn't get it out of his mind. Even after they had left her to her own devices, he thought about her. He, at one point, had to leave the family for a bit so he didn't risk exposing them to Edward's probing mind. Then after a year he had to start shoving his thoughts of her down. He was sure that she was happy without the family's presence within her life. Not constantly putting her in harm's way, never mind the risk that just being with them held.

Somewhere along the lines of thinking of her as family and then sleeping with her he had developed feelings for the slip of a girl. She was bright, more so than Edward gave her credit for, she was caring almost to a fault, and she had given him something special of her that no one else would ever get; her innocence.

Emmett was pulled from his inner thoughts by a slap that jarred him to the core. "Your silence says it all."

He made to say something only to be cut off "Do you deny it?" He honestly couldn't and nor would he. It would disrespectful to both Rosalie and Bella.

"I do not." He stated firmly. Rose huffed angrily and made to slap him again only this time he caught it effortlessly.

"The first one was understandable and I will let it slide, but do not think that I'll stand here and be your punching bag." He collected himself before continuing. "Did you ever stop to consider why I did it?"

She struggled to get her hand back, which he let go, only to get it caught again when she once again attempted to hit him.

"Let me fucking hit you." She screeched.

"NO. Now answer me." He demanded.

She yanked her hand back, eyeing him in the process. "I have no fucking clue why you would cheat on me you selfish prick."

Emmett shook his head and flashed her a mirthless smile. "You wouldn't, would you? You are so wrapped up in all that is Rosalie, you wouldn't notice that I was unhappy. Hell, you didn't even notice that I had developed feelings for someone else. But all that is water under the bridge because it doesn't matter. Bella's long gone and I'm almost certain she was my mate. So, if you want this farce of a marriage to continue, I'm okay with that because I owe it to you. You saved me when you didn't have to, you cared about me-in your own way I guess, but you've stuck with me through everything."

If looks could kill, he would have been dead many times over. "She isn't your mate, I am! You're right, I'M the one that saved you, I'M the one that cares, and I'M the one that's been with you from the start, not that homewrecking whore!" Her chest heaved with false exertion.

"Isn't? Don't you mean wasn't?" He didn't dare hope that she was still alive but the only way she could be is if she was a…

"Yes Emmett, isn't. Little Miss Bella is a vampire now." She grinned maliciously. She could show her cards now because now she could keep Emmett to herself; he had promised and Emmett was anything if not honorable. But the bonus win was now he would be tortured by the fact his so-called mate was still walking the earth.

"But remember you offered to stay in this _farce_ of a marriage and I intend to hold you to that."

Emmett then realized that he had no other choice, he had said that he would stay and he was a man of his word.

Alice's vision came crashing in. Brief flashes of Emmett and Rosalie's argument darted across her mind's eye. Opening her eyes, she was greeted with the inquisitive face of her mate, and all she could do was give him a thousand-watt smile.

"The decision has been made." Her bubbly tone flooded the quiet room. Jasper nodded but it was Bella that couldn't hold back her curiosity. "What decision?"

Alice's mouth split her face impossibly wider, "They are coming back to Alaska of their own accord."

"That's great news!" Aria exclaimed, speaking up for the first time since the whole ordeal started. "But why the sudden change of heart? She could've dodged us for a while longer."

The girl was smart, Alice had to give her that, but there were some crucial pieces of the puzzle missing on both Emmett and Rose's end and the younger vampires in the room. Pieces, that Alice knew all too well but she wouldn't let on to.

"They had a fight and the fact that Bella is still alive came to light and their…extracurricular activities."

"Well that doesn't explain why they would come back." Aria retorted.

"That is…a little more difficult to say. Emmett has promised to stay in the marriage so Rose feels that Bella is not a threat. Plus, he doesn't know for sure that Bella is with us, nor does Rose."

Bella tried but she couldn't help the pang of hurt that seeped into her being. When the feeling was replaced with understanding her head shot up to Jasper. His eyes were softer than normal and she almost hated how it looked like he pitied her. She absolutely hated pity because it made her feel like a fragile human girl who loved a boy who didn't love her back. It was true that it was a very similar case but she was no longer a girl nor was she fragile or human. So, she summoned her inner strength and shoved the hurt down, nearly snuffing it out entirely. She would not let Emmett hurt her again, intentionally or otherwise.

"Well, that's good. Kohl will meet his father soon enough and then I will be on my way." Bella emotionlessly stated in the equivalent of Jasper's Major tone.

Alice's smile faltered slightly before it amped right back up. She wouldn't tell Bella the details, not just yet.

Emmett was both excited at the prospect of seeing his family again but a part of him was nervous to find out if Bella was with them. Rose had told him of the message that Jasper left but again, he felt like she was leaving something out. Why would they want to tell him about Bella being alive? The fact that he slept with her wasn't enough to warrant the kind of avoidance that Rose had exhibited towards the topic. So if it wasn't the fact that he slept with her, what was it? Another thing that gnawed at his mind was who changed her?

He also had to wonder why she took so long to come to them. A part of him knew the answer to that, it was him. He had caused so much grief that day. Intentions aside, he was the one who offered to fuck her. Was it done in a semi-joking manner-yes, was he supposed to be there to look after her-yes, was he supposed to sleep with his brother's girlfriend-no.

Although, the vividness of those memories were as clear to him now as they were all those years ago. He remembered her pleading when he teased her for too long, her shallow breaths as she came close to climax, and that earth-shattering scream of a moan when she came. Even the flushness of her ivory skin was ingrained in his mind. He often wondered if it was his mind's way of driving him mad or if it was the curse of being a vampire. The only reason he had shut thoughts of Bella, and that particular activity, out was due to the pain they caused. It had undeniably tore him up to leave her, so much so that he withdrew from his family, not that any of them really noticed. But he knew he couldn't have her. Edward had made it perfectly clear that they were supposed to stay away from her and most importantly, in Edward's eyes, she was to stay human.

Rose knew that her husband was withdrawing but she couldn't find it in her to care. He had cheated on her and with Bella no less. That sent her ire to a whole new level. What did everyone see in that stupid girl anyways? She had never been able to understand the family's fascination with the human girl and she could only imagine what it was like now that the precious Bella was a vampire. A smug smile appeared on her face when she remembered that she had Emmett, regardless of where his feelings lie, he was hers and that alone made it worth heading back to Alaska. She almost hoped that Bella would be there just so she could rub the little bitch's face in it. So, with a pep in her step she readied herself for the trip back to Alaska. It wouldn't be long now…

 **A.N So in the next chapter we will find out the pieces of the puzzle that Alice said were missing and Emmett will meet Kohl. Lots of goodies coming your way. Thank you guys for the reviews especially Jessa76. She gave me a little inspiration for this chapter. Hope you all enjoy it!**


	9. Impossible

**A/N Just in case a disclaimer hasn't been stated in a while, I do not own Twilight or its characters. Kohl and Aria, however, are all mine.**

The tension within the Cullen home was palpable. Bella had taken to pacing the living area with nervousness echoed in every step. It got to the point where Jasper could no longer take the toxic blend of emotions. He ended up taking a solo hunting trip to avoid it all. Bella had felt minutely ashamed of herself for emotionally dumping on the empath, but she honestly couldn't help it. She was going to see Emmett. The man that she had feelings for, the father of her son, the brother of her ex, and the one who was still married. The nervousness that had slightly decreased, returned tenfold as her thoughts went darker. One of the few things that was keeping her from going off the deep end was the fact that her son was excited. The other was the fact that Alice was calm and something else that Bella couldn't place.

Suddenly Alice's eyes unfocused as she let out a startled gasp. A few seconds passed before her smile returned. "They will be here by noon." She calmly stated.

Bella's anxiety went through the roof and suddenly the room was too small, almost as if the walls were closing in on her. In her panic, she dashed out of the house into the wintery expanse. Her body heaved with unnecessary breaths, trying to regain her composure.

"You know Bella, you don't have to be here. Kohl knows how much of a toll this is taking on you." Aria spoke as she came up behind the mother vampire.

Bella huffed. "I will not leave him to deal with my past and I will _not_ leave him to the scrutiny of Rosalie." It didn't matter that she was reaching a massive breakdown, Kohl was in this position because of Bella and she would not leave her son to explain things by himself.

"I can see where he gets his stubborn nature from" The raven-haired girl grumbled. Bella cracked a smile.

"I know that I haven't been the most pleasant to be around…but I will be here for him." Aria nodded, not wanting to argue with Bella. If she were anything like Kohl, and Aria was damn certain she was, then there would be no persuading her otherwise.

"He's just trying to look out for you. He's a lot like you in that sense."

Bella folded her arms over her chest. "Aren't I supposed to be the parent here?"

Aria chuckled and held her arms up in defense. "I'm just the messenger. If you have problems, take it up with your son." The word barely left Aria's mouth before another voice joined the conversation.

"My darling mate, so willing to throw me under the bus, and to my own mother nonetheless." Kohl joked as he approached the two women.

Aria made her way up to her mate and wrapped her arms around his middle, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. "Kohl, I love you but your mother is scary." She smiled up at him.

"It's understandable." He smiled right back.

"Hey!" Bella interjected. "I'm right here you know. You make me sound terrible, like the wicked witch of the west."

Before anyone could say much more a voice Bella never thought she would ever hear again made its way to her ears. "Bella, is that you?"

 _Oh fuck._ Bella thought as her body went rigid. Was it already noon? Why hadn't she been paying attention? What should she do? Too many thoughts were running through her mind without many answers to them. Lucky for her Jasper showed up, taking some of the spotlight off her.

"Emmett. Good to see ya again." Though the words were intended to be a friendly greeting, they were strained, something that didn't go unnoticed by the little group.

"Well then." Rosalie chirped, thoroughly pleased with herself. "Go on Bella, tell Emmett so we can be on our way. He's promised to stay with me but I'm sure Alice already told you about that." The smug smile was something that Bella definitely wanted to smack off the blonde's face but she held back on her pressing need in favor of revealing the reason why she was there.

As she turned to face probably one of the most difficult conversations she would ever have, she glanced at Kohl. His eyes were full of hope and anxiousness. Her resolved strengthened.

 _This is for Kohl, not for me. I can do this. If I won't someone else will._ With her mental pep talk finished her eyes found Emmett's and she almost fled at the emotions that were swirling in those golden depths. She was sure if she were human she would suffocate under the sheer pressure of them. But she was not. She was a vampire. She was a mother and she had a mission.

"Emmett." She curtly greeted.

"It really is you." He stated, almost in awe at the fact that she was there in front of him.

"There's something I need to tell you." She proceeded only to be interrupted by Rosalie.

"Your damn right there is." Her once fear of Emmett leaving her was long gone since he had promised to stay with her. Now there was nothing that could tear them apart. Although the crueler side of her wanted him to hurt in exchange for the hurt he had laid upon her. If finding out he had a son would do that then she was all for Bella letting this secret out.

"Bella, how, who?" His words jumbled as he tried to piece together how she was there, especially after Alice had told them she died.

"That all correlates with what I need to tell you." She sighed, gesturing for Kohl to join her. As he approached, Emmett couldn't help the growl that escaped his throat. Kohl, however, never faltered as he went and stood next to his mother.

"This" Bella gestured to the man next to her. "Is my son, Kohl."

Emmett's jaw dropped. Bella had a son, she had been with someone. But she didn't look a day older then when he had left her. Who had she slept with? He focused his attention back to the boy trying to pinpoint the paternal origins. The kid had green eyes, dark curly brown hair, a thicker build, but he could see hints of Bella. To his knowledge, there wasn't anyone who looked like this in Forks at the time. As he looked at the boy harder, he noticed his heartbeat was off. It was there but faintly so. It was surely an oddity but not one that made any sense. The confusion must have showed on his face because Bella began speaking again.

"He's half-vampire half-human, Emmett." She waited for a moment as if urging him to reach the answer on his own.

Emmett's eyes widened. "How old is he?" His question would surely open the can of worms that Bella had been anticipating.

"He's roughly 100 years old, give or take a few years." Bella replied as she looked down at the ground, willing herself to stay calm.

A sudden huff of annoyance brought Bella's attention back to Emmett. "For the love of-quit pussyfooting around it." Rosalie yelled. "He looks almost identical to you Emmett!" She screeched, pointing a finger at the green-eyed boy.

"Rosalie." Jasper ground out in warning but it was too late.

A look of horror donned the burly vampires face as he whispered out a response. "It's impossible."

 **A/N Yay, a month later and another chapter for y'all. So yeah, we're starting to get into the messy parts of this story, which means more fun for me. I know it was awful mean of me to leave it here but it looked like a good place for a cliffhanger. I will say that the words said and reactions of the characters don't mean that they will feel that way in the chapters to come. I'm thinking that the next chapter will focus on Bella, Kohl, and Emmett and maybe a catfight. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	10. Hope

By the time realization struck, the rest of the Cullen's had made their way outside to witness the end of the train wreck. For a moment, Bella regretted her decision to start the whole process that led her to this particularly mortifying predicament. But for the hundredth time she remembered, this wasn't about her.

With a side glance, she could see that her son was waiting in anticipation, probably hoping for some sort of fantastical reunion with his estranged father. However, she knew that it would be no fairytale ending, for either of them. She wouldn't ride off into the sunset with prince charming and Kohl wouldn't end up with the father figure he deserved.

She may not have had Alice's gift of foresight but she knew this without a doubt.

"Bella?"

Her ruby eyes honed in on frantic golden ones.

"Why?"

His eyes held so many emotions and spoke many volumes that the burly vampire could never express in words but Bella could see them clear as day. Why didn't she come to him, why had she kept it a secret, why now?

A sudden burst of anger surged throughout her body. Why?! What other reason that the fact that he was Kohl's father did he have the right to ask such a question?

"Well let's see Emmett, I was dating Edward at the time, you were with Rosalie, you left, what real reason do you need? I didn't want to mess up your perfect little life. Sure, it was selfish of me but I didn't want to get hurt by you, nor did I want that to happen to Kohl. And we both know that, like you already have seemed to, you would have promised to stay with Rosalie because that's just who you are and I don't fault you for that. But let's face it, it would have been a royal mess like it's becoming now and Kohl would have taken the brunt of it. I didn't want that for a child."

Bella was on the verge of nonexistent tears. If she missed one thing about being human, it was being able to cry. She missed the release it provided. As it stood, she was a bottled up emotional mess that was dangerously close to exploding.

"Bella…" She could tell he wanted to say more, to do more, but he seemed to be held back by an invisible chain.

All she could do was shake her head and try a different route. She grabbed Kohl's hand and pulled him up to Emmett.

"It's about time you two have a proper meeting. Emmett, this is your son, Kohl." She said with a sad smile. Dropping her son's hand, she turned to leave them to catching up. She didn't need to be there, she had done her part but now she needed some time alone.

Emmett watched as she walked away, leaving him with the one thing he never thought he'd have in his eternal life; a child, though he looked more like a man now.

"Just give her some time, I'm making her face a lot of things by asking to see you." The boys tone bordered on ashamed. Emmett could see so much of Bella in this boy; his son, and part of him was glad for it. He had never been the type, as a human, that had wanted kids. He had always been the overly childish one, even in his vampire existence, but having Kohl in front of him now made him want to do more, be more, to prove his worth as a father.

Bella had once again ventured out into the wintery Alaskan wilderness to clear her mind.

Emmett…he was there. For the first time in nearly a hundred years she had seen his face, almost like no time at all had passed.

But it had. She had gown emotionally and mentally but no matter what changed in her, she still felt like the same teenage girl with a crush on her boyfriend's brother. Granted, a lot of things in that basic scenario had changed but the lingering feelings remained. Time had not diluted or tainted them. If anything, they had grown. Now she was faced with the object of her affections and she couldn't even tell him. He had already promised his life away to Rose. Not that she faulted him for that, she never would, it just hurt so much to think that her chance at happiness with him was nonexistent.

A shudder wracked her form, not from the cold, but rather the buildup of emotions that could not be released.

She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't notice that she wasn't alone until a hand laid upon her shoulder. Swiftly she twirled around, only to recognize Alice's scent.

"Easy Bella, I just came to talk." She said as her hands were held up in a placating manner. A whoosh of air escaped Bella, most likely releasing the built-up tension from the sudden intrusion.

"What more is there to say, Alice? Emmett is here, he knows about Kohl, and it seems like he's trying to make an effort to know him. What more can I ask for?" Bella didn't dare to look the seer in the eyes, if she did Alice would know, and she didn't want the pixie woman to make a deal out of it.

"Bella…" Alice began, only to stop. She seemed to consider her words before she began once more. "Don't give up hope. I know you have been through some much over the years, and I am partially to blame for that."

Before Bella could protest, Alice held a hand up. "I saw what you were going through and I did nothing to aid you. For that reason alone, I am responsible. I just knew that you wanted to keep Kohl from us, so I didn't want you to feel like I was intruding, but that is no excuse."

This time Bella interrupted. "Sure, it would've been nice to have someone to talk about things with but I made do. I don't hold you responsible, if anything I'm grateful that you kept my secret even though it could've destroyed your family if they were to find out that you knew all along. By me coming here, I took the brunt of the disappointment. I wouldn't have wished that on you. I am sorry that you had to keep it from everyone, including Jasper. That had to have been hard on you."

Alice just shook her head with a small smile that Bella remembered from her human days. "Still so quick to be the martyr Bella. The family isn't disappointed in the fact that Kohl exists, I think they're more hurt than anything, that you couldn't trust us enough to come to us when you were in need. If anything, they would've welcomed you with open arms. Well…maybe not Rose." The pixie chuckled, causing Bella to smirk. "But they would've never made you feel like having Kohl was a bad thing. Esme and Carlisle have always loved you like you were a part of this family, even after we had left they were always wanting to check up on you but Edward guilt tripped them into staying away."

Alice looked off into the distance, as if reminiscing. "Even though it seemed like a clean break from our end, we didn't want to leave Bella but Edward in his own stupid way made sense. We were dangerous to you, to your humanity, but if I had thought for one second you would need us like you did I would've convinced them all to stay."

Bella was suddenly confused. How did Alice not see Kohl coming? How did she not see the night that she and Emmett shared?

"Alice, how did you not foresee this?"

Alice looked down, her hands fidgeting in a completely un-Alice like manner.

"I didn't see you and Emmett until after it happened, I guess the choices were too quick for it to register. I saw you go to Peter and Charlotte and a quick glimpse of what you looked like at the time, and then I saw you as a vampire. In truth, I've never been able to see Kohl's future. He is kind of like a blind spot to me, like the wolves were."

Bella look incredulously at the seer. "Wait wolves?! And what is that supposed to mean that you can't see his future?"

Alice shook her head. "Yes Bella, wolves as in for best friend Jacob Black was a wolf shifter. That is a story for another time though. As for Kohl, he may just have a gift that prevents me from seeing him. It's not saying that he doesn't have a future because he's had 100 years."

Bella relaxed at her friend's comment. It was true that Kohl had already had a hundred years, so it meant that he had a future. She had just always been so worried that him being half human would cut is life expectancy somehow. The pixie not being able to see her son had just played on existing fears.

"You're right Alice, it just freaked me out a little bit."

Alice smiled lightly. "It's understandable."

With all the heavy stuff out of the way, the two sat and caught up with the on goings of each other's lives.

Rosalie was beyond furious. Things were most definitely not going the way she wanted them to. First off, she had thought that fatherhood would have mortified Emmett, to the point of him fleeing but it seemed the opposite had happened. He had jumped in with both feet, determined to be the father his _son_ had been lacking.

The thing that had the blonde enraged the most was the fact that Emmett had a child. He was supposed to be hers. If she couldn't have a child that she so desired, why should Emmett? It just wasn't fair. It didn't help that he had a child with the woman she despised the most. She was the reason they had to move so soon, the reason the family was in constant torment, and now she was the reason why Emmett looked so happy. She just couldn't believe that after everything they had been through together that he would've cheated on her. In truth, it was a blow to her pride. But she contented herself with the promise he made to stay with her. No matter what happened while they were home, Emmett would always be hers.

Knowledge in tow she ran towards Canada for a long due hunt. All the stress had her hungry quicker than normal. She would never know the cloaked figure that followed her or just what it meant for her and the Cullen family.

Throughout the next few days the same scene played, Emmett would spend time with Kohl, Rosalie would go sulk, and Bella would seclude herself from everyone. Occasionally, Alice or Aria would join the confused and hurt woman but for the most part she stayed to herself. Carlisle could see how much all of this affected the girl he considered his daughter. She had always been the one to carry the world on her shoulders, and it seemed that vampirism did nothing to sway that trait. He knew that she felt like they were disappointed in her, but in truth they were in awe of her. She had gone through so much at such a young age and handled it with grace and wisdom far beyond her years. Of course, they were a little hurt that she didn't seek them out but Carlisle knew why.

He looked over to Esme as she watched her children fall into the new routine and he could she the worry etched all over her ageless face. He grabbed her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. She smiled, though Carlisle could easily see it was forced.

He frowned.

"I guess it's time we intervene." He spoke without looking at his wife.

"But you said…"

"I know, but they'll never work things out at this rate. I know we have eternity but this is getting to be too much…for them and us."

A side glance revealed Esme nodding. "You know as well as I do Carlisle, if Bella is left to her own devices for too long she's going to start seeing things that aren't there. She's going to drive herself away. I can't bare her leaving."

This time Carlisle nodded. "Maybe it's time we have a chat with Alice to see if she's seen anything that can help."

Esme came to stand in front of her mate and gave him a quick kiss. "You really are wonderful."

Carlisle smiled, he could see the spark returned to his love's eyes.

 _I hope everything works out for the best my dear._ He thought as he kissed her crown.

Bella had been avoiding everything and anything that involved Emmett, including her son. She knew she was being irrational but at the same time, she had never once throughout the years had hope for her and Emmett and as quickly as the light of hope entered, it was chased out by darkness; his promise to Rose. It was all too much to be around the brawny vampire and even her son caused unwanted feelings to pop up. So she did the only thing she could, she went off by herself to think on things.

As time progressed she was beginning to think more and more that her presence was unnecessary. Rosalie had behaved for the most part, Kohl was adapting well, as was Emmett. In truth, she wasn't needed. With her resolve set, she went to find her son to announce her departure. But it seemed that a certain pixie woman would not be having any of that.

"Bella…" She could hear the warning in her tone.

"Alice, I've made up my mind and there's not a thing you or anyone else can do about it." Bella held firm, her body rigid, and eyes hard.

Alice, seeming to ignore the body language, pressed on. "What did I tell you about not giving up hope?"

Bella scoffed. "Hope is for those with no sense. I've thought about this Alice, it's not like I'm doing this without thinking it through. I'm not needed; therefore, I do not need to be here."

 _Especially when it hurts me like this._

Bella unconsciously grabbed the fabric over the spot where her heart once beat, which didn't go unnoticed.

Alice grinned. "What if I told you that there was a reason to stay?"

Once again Bella scoffed. "And what reason would that be? I'm not going to stay and subject myself-you know what, just no."

Bella made to push past Alice, intent on telling her son and Aria goodbye but one word stopped her in her tracks.

"Mates." Alice said with her bright smile. "There's your loophole."

With that information divulged she left the stunned vampire to her own devices to let the information sink in. She knew Bella was smart enough to piece it together.

Once upon a time Edward had told Bella a story of mates, back went he claimed that she was his. She did a mental eye roll at that thought. He had said that mates were very rare, very few vampires ever found their mates. Carlisle had found Esme when she was human and realized that she was his mate, he had kept an eye on her to make sure she was happy. Edward had said it took all of Carlisle's willpower not to intervene when she was getting abused because he felt the alternative, becoming a vampire, was worse. He saw her blossom when she had her first child and he also saw the complete devastation it wrought on her when the child died suddenly. It was when she was at death's door that Carlisle could no longer take it and changed her.

Alice and Jasper were another story. Alice had the gift of foresight and thus had an advantage for finding her mate. She had waited and tried to maneuver around his decisions to finally meet up with him in that café.

But her, how is it that her mate had been in front of her for so long and she didn't notice? How did he not notice? There was also the small fact that killing another's mate was punishable by death from the Volturi. Did that mean that keeping them a part, knowingly, was an offense as well?

She'd have to ask Alice later. But if all this was true, did Emmett know now. He had to, the pull when she first saw him was so much stronger than when she was human. Was it his promise to stay by Rosalie that was keeping him away?

So many questions bubbled up with not many answers.

With a new direction, she sought out Carlisle. He probably had more knowledge on the matter than even Alice did.

It didn't take long to find Carlisle in his study with Esme looking like they were drawing up a plan. Bella knocked on the door, attempting to give some semblance of privacy.

"Come in Bella, we were just getting ready to go look for you." Carlisle responded.

Bella paused. In all her time knowing the Cullen's she had never heard that tone from Carlisle. It was polite but also seemed like he was…hiding something. Shaking the feeling, she stepped into the room.

"I need to speak with you, both of you." They two older vampires look slightly taken aback by the request but their expressions soon morphed to one of happiness.

"Whenever you're ready." Carlisle encouraged.

"I want to know more about mates, specifically the rules of others interfering with them. I know from what Edward said that killing one unjustly can be punishable by death but is there anything else?"

Carlisle smiled. It seemed Alice was correct in her thinking that Bella would seek him out after she had revealed the possibility to Bella.

"Well, as per the Volturi's rules, since mates are a rarity they are to be protected at all costs. Even something as simple as keeping them apart is punishable, though not as severely as if one were killed as you said. It has even occurred where vampires have been pardoned of their crimes because they had a mate."

Carlisle had an odd smile on his face, like he was waiting for something. She thought over what he had said. So that meant that if Emmett was her mate, Rosalie would be punished but that seemed to be self-explanatory. He had said that vampires had been forgiven of their crimes because they had mates.

Her mind flashed back to the one and only time that she and Jasper had been alone. He had revealed his story about how he was in a newborn army, one that would have gotten the attention of humans and Volturi alike. Was that a crime? Was Jasper the one that had been pardoned because of Alice?

"Jasper?" She said, unsure of her response.

Carlisle's smile broadened. "Yes, he was one of the only ones to ever received that treatment. It goes to show how serious they are about keeping mates together."

Bella's brow furrowed. "But why?"

The smile faded. "Marcus, one of the three Volturi Kings, lost his mate and they saw the toll it took on him. They vowed that it would never happen to another vampire. That is why James was such a tricky situation. We feared that Victoria was his mate, she had thought she was, but Edward had confirmed that she wasn't. James had kept her around to play upon the Volturi law. If other vampires thought he had a mate, then he would be safe. There would have been many more hoops to jump through if she was in fact James' mate and it wouldn't have ended well for you since we know that Edward is not your mate like he claimed."

Carlisle shook his head at the thought of his first child.

At the mention of Edward Bella seemed to ponder. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen him in a while. Did he leave?" It wasn't like she cared, more like curious. She hadn't seen him since Alice put him in the spotlight.

Carlisle gave an out of character snort. "He left after he tried to help Rosalie stay off the grid and after the incident with Alice, I'm guessing he didn't want to be around if Emmett came back. I'm pretty positive he went to stay with some of our friends in a rural part of Alaska."

Bella chuckled. Edward was never one that could brush things off and often dwelled on them, thoroughly.

"So Bella, is there something else we can help you with." Esme asked, almost seeming as if she was pushing for something.

"Nope, just wondering is all." She said popping the -p. Esme's face fell minutely before she corrected it.

"Alright dear, we're here anytime you need to talk." She said sounding a tad bit sad. Bella left the office and headed back outside to think over what she had learned.

Bella couldn't figure out what they were trying to accomplish. Surely, they would want Emmett and Rosalie together, they had all been a family for so long.

But, the rational side of her brain added, if you and Emmett are mates wouldn't they support that since they too are mates? Bella shook that thought away. She and Emmett weren't mates, she really didn't even know why she had asked about it or why Alice had even planted that thought in her head.

But…

That but was what had her frozen in place. Her body wouldn't let her move and the feeling of incompleteness grew in her chest. She hadn't had that feeling since they had all left her and she had assumed that is was a collective loss but maybe, just maybe, it was the loss of Emmett that caused the horrid feeling.

She didn't dare to hope but Alice's words floated through her mind ' _Don't give up hope_.' A rueful smile and a disbelieving chuckle decorated her lips. _Leave it to Alice_. With that last thought she headed to the only person who could clear the whole mess up. She only hoped that she wouldn't be getting herself more hurt than she already was.

Emmett had learned a lot about his newly discovered son and his mate. He had learned that Kohl had met Aria in Seattle of all places. She had thought she was saving him from getting mugged when in reality Kohl was luring the guy down there for his own meal. Aria told of the instant spark when their eyes met, and how she was completely thrown for a loop when he didn't runaway screaming as she tore into the thug that was following him. She had said he even looked a little peeved that she had showed up. Kohl laughed and stated it was because she had stolen his dinner.

For the most part, Emmett sat back and listened to his son's tales, adding comments here and there. But then Kohl asked the one question he knew would come up but one he didn't really want to answer.

"So how did you meet mom. I've heard it from her perspective but I get the feeling she's leaving out quite a bit."

Emmett froze. He remembered clearly how and when he met Bella. The first time he saw her, that girl…Jessica if he remembered correctly, was telling all about the mysterious Cullen's. She had brought up her theory of he and Rosalie being together, which was true. He paid them no mind since every school he had ever went to talked about them like they were some sort of celebrities.

It wasn't until he noticed how hard Edward was staring at her, trying to get a read on her mind, did he finally set eyes upon the girl that would rock him to the core. At first, he thought it was a fluke, that what he was feeling was maybe Jasper projecting what Edward was feeling but as he looked around the table, no one seemed to be affected. Jasper didn't even seem to notice his change but that may have been because he was so focused on not eating the entire school population. But Bella never seemed to notice him. When she finally did, it was in a brotherly type way, so he rationalized his feelings away. If she wasn't affected, then there was no way she could be his mate.

It wasn't until the night that Edward had asked him to watch over her while the family went on a hunt did things change. He had caught her masturbating of all things, all because Edward wouldn't go any further with her. If he had loved her like he claimed, and was she was his mate, he wouldn't have been able to deny or hurt her. But Emmett had given her what she wanted without harming her. He remembered feeling whole for the first time in his life, not even Rose filled the gaping hole. If anything, that woman made it bigger, something he hadn't noticed until Bella came along.

"Emmett…"

Emmett started, coming from his reminiscing.

"Yeah?"

He looked over at Kohl and Aria who were waiting expectantly. "I asked how you met my mom."

He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess I just got caught up in my own thoughts, sorry."

Kohl smirked. "Is she your mate?"

Aria smacked Kohl's arm and gave a chastising warning, "Kohl" Her mate just shrugged, like he just hadn't just open Pandora's box.

Emmett stuttered. He had told Rosalie that he thought Bella was his mate and looking back over his memories and seeing her again just reaffirmed it all. Bella was his mate.

"It's alright Aria, he has a right to know." He said, finally coming to his senses.

Kohl's fingers drummed seamlessly on his forearm. "Well?"

Emmett shot his son a look, "Impatient aren't we, I'm sure you get that from you mother."

Kohl once again shrugged, "Probably. But I bet my nonchalant attitude came from you." Emmett's glare faded and he, against his better judgment laughed. "Probably."

"Yes Kohl, I am certain that your mother is my mate." Emmett admitted.

The boy grinned and nodded behind his father. "Why don't you tell her that?"

Emmett spun around to see a stunned Bella. Her head whipping back and forth between her son and Emmett.

"I wonder where you get your conniving side from." Emmett whispered under his breath but Kohl heard him clear as day.

"Ahh" Kohl said as he leaned forward. "That would be a trait that I mastered on my own. And maybe with a little help from Alice." With that said he stood and offered his mate a hand. As he passed his mother he whispered in her ear, "Here is your chance."

Bella was dumbstruck. She had been on her way to get answers straight from the horse's mouth but she hadn't expected it would be that easy. He had said it bluntly, and even though she knew this was a setup, she couldn't find it in her to care. Armed with the knowledge she had gained from Alice and Carlisle she made her way to the one vampire she never thought she would see again.

But when it came time to speak, she couldn't seem to form an intelligent response.

"So, we're mates huh?"

Emmett, despite himself, laughed and the tension in the air dissipated.

 _Maybe this won't be so bad after all._ She thought to herself.

"What the hell Emmett?!" She heard the banshee screech.

 _Or maybe it will._

 **A/N I apologize for taking so long to update. I hope this longer chapter somewhat made up for it. In the next chapter, we will find out who the cloaked figure is and how it pertains to the family. A special thanks to jessa76, without her pms you would probably have been waiting for chapters still.**


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